Jack of two trades, master of both: From sporting heroes to business champions

For many athletes, the roar of the crowd fades faster than expected.

One day they are heroes on the pitch or track, the next they face a quiet life with little direction. But a growing number of sports stars are rewriting that script.

Instead of waiting for retirement to figure things out, they are investing early, building businesses and shaping life beyond medals and trophies. Their stories are not just about survival after sport, but about thriving beyond it.

Few embody this better than Isaac Mabwago. A familiar name in racket games circles for more than 16 years, Mabwago built his name competing in both table tennis and badminton at national level, even representing Kenya in regional competitions across Africa.

In recent years, he has switched lanes to long-distance running, completing 22 major marathons worldwide and clocking a personal best of 2:21:38 at the 2026 Dubai Marathon.

Yet even as he continues chasing athletic excellence, his biggest race may be happening off the track.

Mabwago is the founder and director of Badeqshop, a leading sports merchandise brand in Kenya.

His journey into business did not begin after retirement. It started during his campus days in 2012, when he would wake up early, visit Gikomba market and buy second-hand sports shoes to resell.

“Nothing in particular was driving me. I just enjoyed the process,” he recalls. That hustle helped him pay fees, rent and basic needs, planting the seed of entrepreneurship long before fame.

Even when he landed a job at a major bank, the side hustle never stopped. Mabwago would pick stock at dawn, report to work with it, and sell later in the day.

A turning point came during interbank games when he became curious about who supplied sports kits to institutions. Instead of just wondering, he decided to become the supplier who was non-existent.

Today, Badeqshop is among the top sports equipment suppliers in Kenya, serving major corporates and even government institutions.

“I didn’t start with big capital,” he said. “Any small profit I made, I ploughed it back into the business.” That organic growth taught him lessons he now holds dear.

Discipline, time management and consistency, values that drive elite athletes, have equally powered his business journey. For Mabwago, the biggest win is sustainability.

The business now funds his running career and supports his family, proving that smart planning can give athletes control over their future.

His advice to current athletes is simple but powerful: prepare early. “Professional sport has a time frame,” he said. “Manage your peak years well by investing in assets that will give you income when you retire.”

It is wisdom born from experience, and it echoes across generations of Kenyan sports stars who have found success beyond competition.

Then there is Former Harambee Stars striker and current AFC Leopards president, Boniface Ambani.

After hanging his boots, Ambani looked the other way and formed Bochend General Merchants, which is a sports equipment supply company dealing in football, hockey, handball, rugby, basketball and other sports equipment.

In rugby, George Nyambua stands as a modern example. A current Kenya Simbas captain and a five-time Kenya Cup champion with Kabras Sugar, Nyambua has built a strong reputation on the field. But away from the game, he is equally sharp in business.

Based in Kakamega, he runs two shops, including a barber shop and a gas outlet. By investing while still active in rugby, Nyambua has ensured stability long before hanging up his boots.

Athletics has produced perhaps the richest list of athlete-turned-entrepreneurs. Paul Kipsiele Koech, the 2004 Olympic steeplechase bronze medallist, transformed his early prize money into a thriving dairy empire. After earning Sh300,000 in Sweden, he built a small house and bought three cows.

That modest start grew into Kaso Dairy Farm in Sotik, now home to around 50 quality animals. Through smart breeding and zero-grazing methods, Koech built a model farm that supports his family and community, showing how patience can turn small beginnings into lasting wealth.

Former footballer Anthony Kimani also found his calling after leaving the pitch. The ex-Harambee Stars and Mathare United defender ventured into the automotive world, opening Modo’s Car Accessories.

His shop supplies car rims, tyres, windscreens and tint materials, becoming a trusted name among motorists. Like many athletes, Kimani realised that passion and discipline can easily translate into business success.

Then there is Moses Tanui, the 1991 world 10,000m champion, who built a diverse business empire after retirement. From real estate to hospitality, his ventures include the GrandPri Hotel, a nod to the IAAF Grand Prix races that shaped his early career.

His steeplechase successor Moses Kiptanui followed a similar path, investing in properties such as Komora Centre and Komora Estate in Eldoret, turning athletic glory into generational wealth.

Across the Rift Valley and beyond, landmarks quietly carry the names of former champions. Buildings like Rotterdam Centre, Johannesburg Plaza and Komora Centre stand as reminders that medals can be stepping stones, not endpoints.

Other athletes have taken different routes — football legend Sammy Owino Kempes runs an academy and businesses, Dan Shikanda operates chemists, while Ibrahim Hussein has invested in real estate and hospitality.

Some have ventured into IT, welding, medical consultancy and more, proving there is no single path to success.

Back with Mabwago, the journey is still unfolding. Even as he builds Badeqshop into a household name, he is pursuing a PhD in Business, aiming to strengthen his expertise in sports management.

His dream is to one day build a sports complex that can host multiple disciplines and support upcoming athletes. It is a vision rooted in gratitude and purpose.